 Butch Stone, left, is pictured with close friend and founding member of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters. After suffering a couple of serious accidents while a child, Stone believed he would someday become a doctor. Instead, he discovered a penchant and interest for managing and promoting bands. Eventually, he became the manager of groups such as Black Oak Arkansas and Krokus before establishing himself as a successful music promoter in Little Rock. Courtesy of Butch Stone As a child, Butch Stone was involved in accidents that resulted in significant injury. While recovering, he believed he was destined to someday become a doctor. However, through an odd series of events that revealed an innate talent for promoting and managing musical acts, he embarked upon a career in the music industry and has managed the popular bands Black Oak Arkansas and Krokus. Born in the spring of 1946, Stone and his older brother were raised in the community of West Memphis, Arkansas. His mother worked for W.T. Grant, which once operated a chain of variety stores, while his father was a police officer in West Memphis. “When I was only four years old, I spent nine months in the hospital after I was seriously injured when a car ran over me,” he recalled. “Sometime later, my brother and I were crossing the road while chasing a snake and I was again hit by a car. That time, I spent six months in the hospital recuperating.” He continued, “That taught me to be strong and patient and to never give up. My family told me that I was going to be a doctor someday and they believed that was my life’s mission.” Doing well in his studies, Stone graduated from high school in 1964 and earned scholarships to attend Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. During the little more than two years he attended university, he discovered the power music had to move people and the money that could be made promoting it. “As fate would have it, I started managing a band and having dances at a hotel in Jonesboro that I rented every other weekend or so,” he shared. “Soon, we had between 200 to 400 people showing up for the dances and that intrigued me about the influence and potential of the music business.” In the interim, Stone also continued to refine another talent within pool halls and bars—hustling pool. There were times, he recalled, when he made $200 for a dance but by the end of the week could win $1,500 playing pool. Stone continued to learn more about managing and promoting bands over the next several months such as the group Nobody Else. Recognizing the charismatic nature of their lead singer, James Mangrum (known by the stage name “Jim Dandy”), Stone was eventually connected to Frank Barsalona, owner of Premier Talent. Barsalona was widely known for his work in booking major musical talent and had an impressive roster of artists including acts like Van Halen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi and Peter Frampton. After his first meeting with Barsalona, Stone recalls that they became good friends and he decided to leave his collegiate studies for a career in the music business. Barsalona, he added, was a mentor to him and convinced Stone that the band he was managing, Nobody Else, should change their name to Black Oak Arkansas. “It took me a little while to realize that music was a better course of action,” he said. “It was an epiphany that I recognized and that’s what separates a lot of people from those who don’t acknowledge the opportunities they’ve been given.” Through Barsalona’s mentorship and his own dedication to succeed, Stone cut a path in the music industry for Black Oak Arkansas by securing a contract with Atlantic Records in 1970. Stone managed the band for about nine years before making the decision to cut his management ties because of self-destructive internal behaviors consuming the group. “Frank Barsalona was a genius with a legendary clientele list,” Stone said. “He educated me, protected me and even became the godfather to my daughter.” Ruby Starr was a talented rock singer who was invited to perform with Black Oak Arkansas during the height of their stardom. In the mid-1970s, Stone helped coordinate a recording contract with Capitol Records for her group, Ruby Starr and & Grey Ghost. He also managed the group Starfighters, which he helped sign to A&M Records. “Starfighters was one of those bands that imploded, too,” he said. “Many of these groups had the lifespan of a housefly. In this industry, egos get involved and it becomes and internal competition leading to conflict.” Other talent he assisted throughout the years but did not manage include the band Cheap Trick and Jimi Jamison, the latter of whom became lead singer for Survivor. Connections he made with Clive Davis, founder of Arista, later led to an offer for Stone to manage the Swiss hard rock group Krokus. Following a meeting with the band members in their native Switzerland, he decided to be their manager and enjoyed “a good run with the group,” spanning nearly ten years. Stone explained, “I eventually got an exclusive promotional deal with the city of Little Rock (Arkansas) and brought all kinds of major acts to the amphitheater. We controlled the food and beverage industry as part of that arrangement as well,” he added. The tempo of the years soon caught up with him and Stone reached the point where he was ready for a break. The father of four children, in addition to several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Stone now enjoys living the relatively quiet life in his native Arkansas. “I was always good at spotting talent and recognizing if they could sing … not just have a good voice but a voice that was distinctive and could move people,” he said. “But if I were going to give advice to someone these days trying to make it in the music industry, it would be to get intimately familiar with the internet.” He added, “It’s no longer about the manager’s relationship with the record company executives but rather how many views or hits someone has online. The record companies look to see who is making a major online footprint and if you reach a certain point, you have their attention.” Jeremy P. Ämick is author of the biography of the rock bands Missouri, Shooting Star and Head East.  Throughout his career as a manager and promoter, Stone, left, made connections with many legends in the music industry including Ringo Starr. Courtesy of Butch Stone
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‘That’s a winner’ - Jack Buck, former St. Louis Cardinals announcer, wounded in combat in WWII7/3/2025  Unable to enlist in the U.S. Navy because of colorblindness, Jack Buck was later drafted into the U.S. Army. During World War II, he served stateside as an anti-aircraft artillery instructor and was later wounded in Germany while serving with the 9th Infantry Division. Courtesy of Beverly Buck Brennan Many retain fond memories of the unparalleled talents of a sportscaster who became a household name announcing Major League Baseball games for the St. Louis Cardinals—the late Jack Buck. But like scores of young individuals growing into adulthood in the closing years of the Great Depression, a lesser-known aspect of his life was the combat service he experienced during World War II that resulted in injuries he carried for years. A 19-year-old Buck had achieved the zenith of physical conditioning while working such positions as porter, cook and deckhand employed aboard freighter ships that operated on and around the Great Lakes. This physicality would soon serve him well after he was drafted into the U.S. Army in June 1943. “He had wanted to go into the Navy, but he was colorblind,” said his son, Jack Buck, Jr. He was soon transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia, which was operating as a Coast Artillery Replacement Center. It not only served as the site where the young draftee received his basic training, but he became one of 20,000 troops who received instruction in anti-aircraft artillery there during the course of the war. According to an article by Kristen Lokemoen for the Society for Baseball Research, Buck “stayed (at Ft. Eustis) as an instructor and was promoted to corporal.” The article further noted that Buck later remarked that his selection as an instructor “was because of my voice, and I was really good at close-order drill. You could hear me all over the area.” His performance as an instructor earned him transfer to Camp Stewart, Georgia, which had also been established as an ant-aircraft artillery training center during the war. It was here that the soldier remained until receiving notice of his deployment to Europe to help bulk up troop strengths as the allies pushed toward Germany. In 1943, he boarded the Mauretania—an English troop ship that had undergone a expedited conversion to troop transport—and traveled to Liverpool, England. Soon, Buck was assigned to Company K, 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division and engaged in combat operations. On March 7, 1945, during the Battle of the Remagen Bridgehead in Germany, Buck became one of the 9th Infantry Division soldiers to assist in the daring capture of one of the last bridges still standing across the Rhine River. Leading a patrol that came under fire, Buck suffered shrapnel wounds to his left arm and leg. “Company K's only combat medic was Frank Borghi, who administered first-aid that saved my father’s arm from having to be amputated,” said Beverly Buck Brennan, eldest child of the late veteran. “Years later, dad was talking to Borghi and figured out, through time and location of their service, that it had been Borghi that treated him on that day,” she added. Intriguingly, Buck later discovered that Borghi was from the historic Italian district of St. Louis known as the Hill. Five years after the end of the war, Borghi became the goalie for the underdog U.S. soccer team that won the 1950 FIFA World Cup match against England, a feat chronicled in the 2005 film “The Game of Their Lives.” Buck was eventually placed on a train and transferred to a military hospital in France for additional treatment. Later presented a Purple Heart for his wounds, the combat veteran was encouraged to remain in the Army and become an officer through Officer Candidate School. Instead, he chose to return to the states to pursue his dream of becoming a broadcaster The GI Bill he had earned though his service helped make his dream become a reality since he used the benefits to attend Ohio State and major in broadcast journalism. In 1954, the Buck family moved to the Hill in St. Louis, living a few houses from the childhood homes of Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra. “If dad lifted up his arm, you could see where he had a discernible long scar from his combat injury,” recalled Jack Buck Jr. “If someone were to touch him there, it would cause him to wince in pain. But he was very functional with it in later years, and eventually was able to play softball and golf.” Buck’s broadcasting career with Major League Baseball brought him a great level of notoriety and is often recognized for his trademark phrase, “That’s a winner!” However, because of his service in World War II, he remained a dedicated advocate for those who chose a public service profession. On many occasions, he penned poems and short stories dedicated to patriotism and highlighting events such as the 9-11 attacks and his visit to the beaches of Normandy. “If he had a day or morning off, there were times when he would get up and drive to the veterans’ hospital to visit with some of the veterans who were patients there,” said Jack Buck Jr. “He also supported organizations involving the police and firefighters.” Beverly Buck Brennan added, “My father had been in foxholes when friends were injured and killed. I really believe that speaking about World War II with other veterans was really therapeutic for him.” She added, “My dad was many things - husband, father, journalist and sports fan. But I believe that in his mind, he was always a Soldier first." John “Jack” Francis Buck passed away on June 18, 2002. The 77-year-old U.S. Army veteran was laid to rest with full military honors in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Jeremy P. Ämick is the author of the historical compilation Beyond the Moreau.  Following his World War II service, Buck used his GI Bill benefits to earn a broadcasting journalism degree at Ohio State University. Courtesy of Beverly Buck Brennan |
AuthorJeremy P. Ämick is an award-winning author and historian dedicated to preserving music, military and local histories. Archives
July 2026
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